At the Shattuck-St. Mary’s preparatory school in Fairbault, Minn., there are no name bars on the back of their jerseys. On purpose.

In their program, they view everyone as equals, ingraining the true idea and meaning of a team from the time they walk on campus.

But even though his last name is nowhere to be found on his No. 30 sweater, everyone knows when Anthony Brodeur is in net.

Tom Ward is getting used to it. Questions come often regarding the 17-year-old son of the New Jersey Devils netminder Martin Brodeur.

“‘What does he look like? How does he play?’” the longtime Shattuck coach was saying Friday, prior to his squad’s opener at the World Sport School Challenge against the Banff Hockey Academy at WinSport’s Markin McPhail Centre.

The answer? A dead ringer for his old man.

“You watch him play and he stands up,” Ward says of Anthony. “He’ll play old-school. He’s not your typical butterfly goalie — he is not. He looks a lot like his father. And that’s just from sitting around the kitchen table, eating breakfast, talking about playing goal, and watching his father.

“That’s who he watched playing goal growing up and he emulated him. The style is familiar. If there are people that know how Marty plays, they’ll have a smile on their face, watching him play. No one plays like Marty. And no one plays like Anthony.”

For a reason. Not many people have had the exposure he’s had.

Growing up in New Jersey — where his dad has spent his entire NHL career, won three Stanley Cups, four Vezina Trophies, and two Olympic Gold medals — Anthony was steeped in the game. But, as kids often do, he grew up and started to pave his own path. In his freshman year of high school, he enrolled in the Shattuck program.

“I don’t know. I like hockey,” he said. “My dad didn’t force me to play hockey — it was because I wanted to. It was just kind of natural. My brothers (William and Jeremy) play, too. My sister doesn’t play and it’s all good.

“She’s 10 and she’s NOT going to play.”

The attention, he says, has been constant from a young age.

His teenage teammates, too, are used to it by now, too, and gave Brodeur the gears Friday for early media requests.

“Already?” chirped one, only hours after the Shattuck’s team bus pulled into Calgary. Some snickered, taking pictures on their iPhone.

The friendly five-foot-10, 180-pounder shrugs.

“Can’t really hide from it,” he said, smiling. “You know what, I’m used to it by now. Always, in New Jersey, people would say stuff to me like, ‘Oh, that’s your dad.’ Stuff like that. When I started going to bigger tournaments, like a peewee tournament in Quebec once, I had interview after interview. That’s where it kind of started.”

His style, like Ward said, is familiar. No shocker there.

“I get that a lot,” Brodeur said. “I didn’t really learn from him, specifically, but it’s just reaction; how he is. I never really got taught how to play goalie.

“I just played and moved on from there.”

His dad, however, keeps his distance. When he does watch Anthony or his twin brothers William (a forward) and Jeremy (also a goalie) who both play for Shattuck, it’s usually when they’re on the road.

“My first three years, I think he came twice. It’s good to have him whenever he can.

“But I’m used to it.”

Brodeur, who is thinking of entering the college stream instead of his dad’s Quebec Major Junior League route, has earned everything along the way by his own merit — and not because of his last name.

He’s had to. There’s no cutting corners in Ward’s tightly-run ship which sees players on the ice every day and keeps them accountable in the classroom.

But there’s also an appealing amount of anonymity to being on their campus. While the Shattuck-St-Mary’s alumni has helped put the hockey program on the map with graduates such as Sidney Crosby, Patrick Eaves, and Zach Parise, the school also offers soccer, music, and figure skating programs.

And as Ward puts it, Anthony can just be Anthony.

“No one really cares that his dad is one of the best goalies to ever have played the game,” Ward said. “He’s just Anthony — he’s not Marty’s boy. He doesn’t wear it on his chest. He’s proud to be Marty Brodeur’s boy. But doesn’t want anyone to really treat him any different.”

Back in Calgary for a second year after winning the inaugural tournament last year with Shattuck, his performance is important.

Night in and night out, there are 25 to 30 scouts watching — not just Brodeur, but because of his Shattuck teammates, too.

Heading into this season, he, forward Max Becker, defenceman Willie Raskcob were listed by the NHL’s central scouting bureau as North American prospects to watch. Forward Tyler Vesel could also be on the map.

And sure, anything can happen heading into the 2013 NHL draft which is staged — guess where — at the Prudential Center in Newark. But the stars are aligning.

His dad’s home rink. His hometown. And maybe, just maybe....

“Exactly,” Brodeur said, smiling. “It’s cool. But it would be a privilege to get drafted by any team, to be honest with you. I don’t care who it is. But getting drafted by New Jersey in New Jersey would be pretty cool, especially with my dad playing for them.

“I’m really excited for the experience and excited to see what happens.”

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